1. Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to robotic technologies, and particularly, to a robot arm assembly.
2. Description of Related Art
A commonly used robot arm assembly includes a plurality of rotating members connected in series. An end effector, such as a welding device, a gripper, or a cutting tool, is mounted at a distal arm of the robot to execute specific tasks. Generally six axes are utilized to achieve maximum movement and positioning of the end effector.
In robots of this kind, each arm rotates around a rotation axis driven by a driving unit. Typically, the driving unit includes a motor mounted on the lower arm and a speed reducer coupled to the motor to transmit the movement of the motor to the upper arm. The speed reducer may be a high gear ratio gear, such as a harmonic gear reducer, a RV reducer (rotary vector reducer), or a planetary reducer. The motor and the speed reducer are arranged along the rotation axis of the arm, rendering the range along the rotation axis relatively large. In a six-axis industrial robot, the second arm is rotatably connected to the third arm and may be perpendicular thereto. The second and third arms are respectively driven by two driving units adjacent to each other, such that the combined second and third arms are relatively large. As a result, the industrial robot needs considerable space to operate freely and safely. In addition, the cables connected to the motors for transmitting signals and power are carried within the robot, with possible abrasion between the cables and the components of the robot.
Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art.